Against All Odds
by penandpathways
Summary: (sequel to Agent Romanoff) "I don't want you to lose what you have because of me. I can't be selfish with you. I can't. This isn't your fight, Nat." "Don't do this. Please." She pleaded, eyes burning with tears. "The team needs you, Steve." She held him tighter. Closer. Unwilling to let go. "And I need you." (CACW AU) [REVISED AS OF 2018]
1. Against All Odds

**AGAINST ALL ODDS**

 _ **(Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff)**_

 _{sequel to Agent Romanoff}_

 _ **{set in CACW}**_

* * *

❝I thought that it meant you love me?❞

❝I do love you. I love you.❞

❝Then why isn't that enough? Huh?❞

He shook his head, hearing the sound of his own heart breaking. ❝Because I don't want you to lose what you have because of me. I can't be selfish with you. I can't. This isn't your fight, Nat.❞

❝Don't do this. _Please._ ❞ She pleaded, eyes burning with tears. ❝The team needs you, Steve.❞

She held him tighter. Closer. Unwilling to let go.

❝ _I_ _need you._ ❞

* * *

 **REVISED AS OF 2018.**

 **BOOK 2.**


	2. Prologue

**Hope you enjoy reading the sequel as much as the first book! Please leave reviews! Thanks!**

»»—- —-««

 **( prologue )**

»»—- —-««

It had been exactly a year since the incident with the time machine.

And it had been exactly a year since Natasha and Steve got together.

In addition to everything new that's happened, the Avengers had just finished stopping an artificial intelligence that threatened to eradicate mankind. They called him _Ultron_. He was, unfortunately, yet not surprisingly, created by Tony Stark with the purpose of helping them defend the Earth from any kind of threats.

Tony was led to believe that a more powerful force, much more powerful than their previous enemies would soon come, and that's what drove him to create this. To creating Ultron.

But it completely backfired on him.

As such, the Avengers were forced to encounter another heartbreaking battle of measuring civilian casualties while destroying a bunch of android robots.

It really wasn't supposed to be much of a problem since this wasn't their first time as a whole team to fight and stand their ground. But it is the _first_ time that Natasha and Steve had fought with the team since they got together.

Since none of the team knew that they were in the relationship (except Tony) because they never really got the chance to tell them when the Avengers went separate ways as shortly after the time machine incident happened, not only was the guilt eating them up of hiding these to their friends (to Clint, especially, in Natasha's case), but it was becoming _harder_ to do it.

It was becoming harder and harder for the both of them to separate profession and personal relationships once they were out there in the field. Especially, in _Steve's_ case. Since he was captain, he always had the final call in giving out orders. And it became a standard thing for the team to simply follow it without questioning _anything_ at all.

But sometimes—no, actually _most_ of the time, Natasha would forget that. She knew it was very uncharacteristically immature and unprofessional of her to do such a thing, but she couldn't stop herself. She would always have to keep in mind that once they were out there, there was no Steve and Natasha. He couldn't call her _'love'_ nor could she call him his. He was not her boyfriend and she was not his girlfriend. They were nothing but teammates, allies, and partners.

He was Captain America while she was Black Widow.

And something tells them that if they couldn't keep sticking into their own agreement of _'professional and personal don't mesh well together',_ then it wouldn't be long enough for _everyone_ to find out about them.

Meanwhile, they were given a new facility since they figured that the tower was too cramped up now for them to stay in—especially when they were getting new recruits in the team.

"One of our tech boys flagged this."

Natasha turned her head to see Nick Fury approaching her.

"Splashed down in the Banda Sea, could be the Quinjet," She leaned over to see a digital map of what the director was pertaining to. "But with Stark's stealth tech, we still can't track the damn thing."

She couldn't suppress the sad sigh escaping her lips, "Right."

When the Avengers finally managed to defeat Ultron, they also went through some of their own losses as well. Even if they're doing their best to save everyone, it also comes with a price. Unfortunately, that price took a toll on the life of their former teammate, Quicksilver, and led to the disappearance of Hulk.

"Probably jump out and swam to Fiji." Fury continued, "He'll send us a postcard."

Having Bruce or the Hulk on AWOL is just as difficult as it sounds. She had grown closer to this team, to this family, that it pains her to think how easy it is for them to _leave_ them behind _._ Maybe she had just gotten softer, or maybe not.

Either way, it was a pretty dick move for Bruce to bail out on them without as much of a goodbye.

"You think he'll find his way back?" she asked.

"You never know. You hope for the best, then make do with what you get. I got a great team, after all. A great captain. A great agent." He spared her a glance from the corner of his eyes, "Partners."

She raised an eyebrow, feeling that there's more to what he's trying to imply. Judging from his tone and sideways glance, she picked up the fact that he must know something. He must've known already. Well, this was Fury, after all, she'd only be a tad bit surprised that he found out sooner than their friends did.

But that didn't mean she couldn't play dumb. "Sir?"

"You be damned if you think none of these people here already suspect something between the two of you, Natasha." He asserted, and she couldn't determine exactly if it was disappointment or disbelief in his case. "But I'll have to admit that I never once saw this coming."

His words were indirect, vague and unresolved, but she knew exactly what he was talking about. What he was _implying._ Honestly, neither _she_ or _he_ saw this coming as well. It was unexpected but it certainly wasn't something they regretted.

"We know the risks." she deduced.

Fury sighed, "Look, I have nothing against you or Rogers for that matter, but you know how the world is. How the world needs _you._ " Truth be told, he felt like he was slightly at fault here because he was the one who decided to put this two together. But he didn't expect that this would work back against him. Instead of the spy being an expert to teach the soldier about emotional detachment, the soldier was the one who taught her the importance of compassion instead. And at the same time, the downfall of having one too. "I hope you both know what you're doing."

Natasha knows that she and Steve could never have a normal relationship. And they could never get to live a life like most couples planned to have together. But he had told her countless times that it shouldn't become a reason for them to back down. They may be Captain America and Black Widow, a spy and a soldier, but they're also just a man and a woman in love.

"When you assigned us together," She wanted to know the reason why he'd think they would work out despite knowing how different they were. "Did you knew then that this could happen?"

Fury remained lax and composed. "Honestly? It never crossed my mind even a damn second." A tentative smile became more evident on his face. "But who am I to judge? As long as you do your jobs and kick asses out there, that ain't going to be a problem for me. You just do what you have to do. Like I said, I got a great team."

She forced a lopsided smile. "Nothing lasts forever."

"Trouble, Ms. Romanoff." He pointed out, turning away. "No matter who wins or loses, trouble still comes around."

Natasha sighed, knowing full well he was right.

Trouble would always come after them whether they like it or not.

* * *

As much as both hated to admit it, or _neither_ actually wanted to admit it, Steve and Tony had been surprisingly getting along better than before. Well, it would make sense since they were teammates and all, and Tony was the only one whom Steve could approach whenever he and Natasha were having some problems.

Probably, the only one who'd keep his head checked whenever he lets his jealous-self tend to speak more than his logical self.

Like what happened recently, when he had just noticed that the Hulk had formed some sort of special connection with Natasha. He didn't even know how it started, it just happened. He knew that it was nothing but platonic, and it even became a 'beneficial factor' for the team to resort to a way of calming the Hulk. In taming the _beast._

But Steve felt his own green monster surfacing at the thought of it.

When he had unintentionally been dragging this whenever he was addressing Bruce during team meetings or occasionally giving him a hostile treatment than the rest of his friends, Tony had to smack him in the head to knock some sense back into him again. _Literally._

Thankfully, he had managed (with great difficulty that is) to swallow down the pit of jealousy and immaturity and got to lead the team _and_ finish the mission without any personal conflicts. He convinced himself that he would need to get used to it whether he liked it or not. For Natasha. For them. For _everyone._

"I'm still wondering how on earth could he do it and none of can't? Not even Cap?" Tony's voice wailed in disbelief.

Steve fought the urge to roll his eyes. It had been days since it happened and he still hasn't let it go. "The rules have changed, Tony."

"I guess we're dealing with something new then?"

"Well, the Vision _is_ artificial intelligence."

"A machine."

"So it doesn't count?"

"No," Tony answered without missing a beat. "It's not like a person lifting the hammer."

Steve seemed to catch what he was saying. "Right! Different rules for us," he exclaimed.

"Nice guy. Artificial."

"Thank you."

Thor stepped in on these two's banters. An amused smile settled on his face while he overlooked the argument between them. "He can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision." he concluded, "And these days, safe is in short supply."

That seemed to do the trick.

But Steve still had one question lingering on his mind. A deep thought clouded his eyes. "But if you put the hammer in an elevator..."

Tony rolled his eyes. "It would still go up."

"Elevator's not worthy."

Thor laughed slightly, patting Tony's shoulder. "I'm gonna miss these little talks of ours." He was planning to go back to Asgard again, and that would only result in the Avengers losing one of their members again. It was not easy for them to be out of reach when a threat could always be close behind.

"Not if you don't leave." Tony offered.

"I have no choice." He said, starting to walk in his tracks, "The mind stone is the fourth of the Infinity stones to show up in the last few years. It's not a coincidence. The power stone, the one that you took from me—"

"I thought we were past that already." he frowned.

He ignored him, making their way out of the facility. "—was only the first to be contained under our protection. I ordered it to be relocated to another place safer than Asgard. They're keeping it there. And now, I believe someone had been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. Once all these pieces are in position—"

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony interjected.

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked, his eyes looming over to him in concern.

Without any hesitation, Thor nodded. "I do." He looked over at Tony's chest, patting his arc reactor. "Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained."

Thor gave one final nod at them, before raising his fist in the air with Mjolnir in hand. A bright flash of light blinded their eyes momentarily. Afterwards, Thor was nowhere in sight. Only a mark was left on the very ground they're standing on.

"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance," Tony remarked.

Steve smiled lightly.

"I'm gonna miss him though, and you're gonna miss me." He continued to say, pressing the keys on his car. "There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."

The captain shrugged. "Maybe."

"Probably." Tony deduced.

Steve shook his head in amusement. Truth be told, maybe he really is going to miss him. The second Tony had told him that he decided to take a break from all this after it's over, he couldn't comprehend what he was saying and thought he had just misheard.

But he didn't, and he was really planning to quit for the meantime. So that means he's leaving the Avengers in his care. He's _trusting_ them in _his_ care.

Not to mention, no one's going to be there to tell him when he's being a complete jealous ass anymore once Tony leaves.

Steve smiled sadly. "I will miss you, Tony."

Tony looked taken aback at first, a sudden heat pooled through his face but he managed to brush it off like it was nothing. See, he and Steve had their differences, and they always would not see eye to eye, but despite that, they had come a long way. Despite everything, they managed to consider the other as a friend.

"Yeah? Well, you better not let Natalie hear you say that, Rogers." He rolled his eyes, smirking in amusement. "She's just as bad as you are. Getting jealous for all the wrong reasons. Tsk."

He flushed both in embarrassment and annoyance. "Hey, I got it all under control now. I'm not as bad as I was, no matter how hard it is to ignore."

"Thanks to me." Tony scoffed. "And you've got to learn to hold it down on your own now that I'm not around to smack some sense back in your brain."

"I can very well do that myself, thank you."

He snorted, laughing, "Barely."

Steve shot him a look to which he just ignored.

"Well, it's time for me to tap out." He said, seeing his car come down to a stop in front of them. He turned to face him before he got inside, eyebrows knitting together. "Speaking of you and Nat, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now."

He looked at him, perplexed. "What is it?"

"Do you guys, you know, ever plan to tell anyone? The team at least?" he asked.

As much as he wanted to answer the question, he doesn't exactly know the answer himself. Steve let out a sigh, "I don't know."

Tony raised an eyebrow in doubt.

"Really, I don't." he contended, "We talked about it one time, but we figured some other important things have to come first."

"What else could be more important than your relationship?" Tony asked, tilting his head questioningly, and Steve gave him that look to tell him that he knows exactly what he's referring to. "You don't have to put yourselves last in everything you do. You both deserve a break."

"It's different, Tony. We're not—I mean, we can't just pretend we're normal for one second and the next we're off to fight a bunch of aliens and robots." Steve reasoned, sighing. "We can't live a normal life. Unlike Clint, or you or anyone."

Tony could feel the conflict in him. Like he was deciding if this path he's taking on is the path he wanted for himself all along. Somehow, he felt sorry for him that he wants to convince him that he shouldn't be the kind of guy who just accepts this. Steve Rogers _doesn't_ deserve this.

"Come on, Cap, what makes you think that you can't live the simple life too? It may not be now, but you'll get there one day. You and Nat."

"I don't know." He admitted, quietly, "Family, stability... the guy who wanted all that went in the ice 75 years ago. I think someone else came out."

Tony opened the car door, but not before stopping to give him a piece of advice. "Listen, this life you're talking about? All those nonsense about fighting crap and saving the world? That's the kind of life that Captain America chooses to have, not you." He gave him a pat on the shoulder. "What do you want, Steve?"

Steve sighed, offering him a weak smile. "I don't know." He was lost. Hopeless. And even with Natasha by his side, he still didn't know what his purpose in the world is. What kind of life he's meant to live, and the kind of life he's meant to be with Natasha.

Tony forced a smile too, but one full of sympathy rather than joy. He sat down on the driver's seat and started the engine. Before he could speed off, he glanced at him one last time, "You think you're going to be all right, though?"

He glanced at the place; his eyes fleeting from the lawn he stood on, to the facility itself, and finally back to his friend. Despite all the conflicts clouding up his mind, he was sure of this one thing.

He nodded. "I'm home."

* * *

Natasha didn't know how long she was standing there and doing nothing but stare at the wall in front. Yet judging from the amusement laced in her boyfriend's tone, it was probably quite a while already.

"Do you want to keep staring at the wall or do you wanna to go to work?" His voice snapped her out of a trance.

Just as she expected, by the time she turned around, Steve was there. An amused smirk that he was desperately trying to hold back but seemingly failed settled on his face.

"I mean it's a pretty interesting wall." He continued to tease, his smirk growing wider by the second.

Now she rolled her eyes, her lips unconsciously curving upwards as well. He could be such a shit sometimes. "I thought you and Tony were still gazing into each other's eyes." She retorted back, walking over to where he was.

Steve shook his head, chuckling, "Figures you were watching."

"Yeah, I even expected a little goodbye kiss to seal the deal." She grinned.

He grimaced. "Now you're just being gross."

She laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek before taking the tablet from his hands. Unlike before, he'd resort to a blushing mess at the affectionate gesture, but now, considering every intimate moment they've gone through together, a kiss on the cheek was just an opening act.

Nevertheless, he still smiled affectionately at her.

"How do we look?" she asked.

He looked over to the tablet. "Well, we're not the '27 Yankees."

"We got some hitters."

"They're good. They're not a team."

She smirked, glancing at him. "Let's beat them into shape."

Steve pushed open the metal doors while she followed closely behind. She saw the other recruits settling below. She could make out Wanda, Rhodey, Sam, and Vision. They would certainly be rusty, and it would be a rough start with Clint retiring, Thor leaving, Tony quitting, and Bruce on AWOL. It would just the be the two of them guiding these people.

"Avengers..." Steve started, looking at them before looking back at her.

She gave him an encouraging nod.

Then again, as long as she's with him, and as long as he's with her— Natasha knows for sure they could go through _anything_ and _everything_ at all.

»»—- —-««

 **So, what do you think? This will eventually follow the timeline of CACW. So better prepare yourselves!**


	3. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

 **Sorry it took me awhile to publish the first chapter. But I'm glad I got to finally update! Yehey! I hope you'll enjoy reading it!**

 **ActionfreakXD: Hi! I saw your review! Thanks for the heads up that there was a typo in this chapter. I honestly don't know why that unfinished sentence was there in the first place. Lol. And yeah, I can guarantee that it's not just going to copy the CACW timeline. This is going to be more like a CACW au. If that makes sense. I'm going to be adding a lot of major changes.**

* * *

»»—- —-««

 **( chapter one )**

»»—- —-««

* * *

Over the course of months of training, the new Avengers were finally ready to take their first mission out there on the field.

Needless to say, they all had gotten rather close to one other and became friends just like they were with their former teammates. Steve finally found his right man for the job, and that's Sam. She was happy for him, really, as he deserves a good friend like Sam to stick with him after suffering so much with what happened with Bucky.

And about Bucky, she always thought about telling him the truth about Bucky. She always hesitated, contemplated, and convinced herself that this wasn't the right time to lay it out on him.

But now, she couldn't hide it any longer. The guilt was eating her up since she knew that Steve had been nothing but honest with her the very first day they started going out. He trusted her and kept no secrets from her.

That's why she needed to do the same. To be fair. To show how much he's changed her. And to show how much she's serious about the part of loving him enough to not hide a single thing from him. Things were getting more and more serious with her and Steve and the last thing she wants is for him to feel like she betrayed him.

So, Natasha had decided, that she was going to tell him now. As in now _now._ Right before they engage on their first official mission back in the world.

Steve was in his office, sitting by the chair to the desk by the corner of his room, working away on something with his laptop (it still amazed her to this day that he already learned how to use electronic devices with her help). Their rooms were just closed by with one another and they were the only ones who roomed on this floor, so sometimes they acted as if the whole level was theirs already. But she had stayed the night in _his_ room yesterday. It wasn't the first time though, because they've been doing it occasionally.

She didn't know what he was doing, just watched as his fingers typed their way apprehensively. It was early as 5 in the morning so it was still dim outside yet he was up like a bat. The light from the screen made his eyes very blue and alive. The only thing off was the fact that he was frowning way too much.

She leaned against the door frame, her mind calling out the shots to just do this another time because he seemed pretty busy. But she decided that if she didn't tell him this now, then she might never get the chance too next time. He needed to know. "Steve?" she called.

He glanced up from the laptop and spotted her briefly by the door before lowering his eyes back to the screen again. "Nat? Why are you up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep." She said simply.

Silence dawned on them for a moment. And when he saw that she wasn't going to say anything else, just standing there and looking as stiff and troubled as he was, his face loomed over a tad bit worry. "You okay, love?"

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The sudden shift in subject alarmed him but he answered it anyway. "I'm working on the files that Sam asked me to do. Turns out he found some liable information that we could use to get a lead on Rumlow. I'm sending all these to him now so he could extract it and get it done."

Alright, that clearly sounded very important. Just the mention of their former SHIELD ally now turned enemy was almost enough to make her step a foot back. _Almost._ "Oh," she muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Do you need something?" he asked, still keeping his eyes glued to the screen.

"I uh..." She bit her lip, feeling her heart raced in anxiety. She sucked in a breath. "I need to talk to you."

During the long time they've been together, they knew each other well enough to the point they could read one another most of the time. And Steve definitely knew, from the way her voice faltered and she fidgeted in her spot, he knew it was something serious. She rarely ever does that. _Very rarely._

He clicked the 'send' button on the screen before closing his laptop to let her know that he was giving her his full attention. "That sentence is always enough to give me a heart attack." He raised an eyebrow, a small smile appearing on his tired face.

She smiled weakly, now feeling more nervous than ever when he was now fully looking and listening to nothing but her. Her alone. "Steve, I..." she sighed.

He stood up, striding over to where she was. He was wearing a white shirt and khaki shorts and she was still wearing the silk nightgown she slept in. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She glanced up at him, and because she was barefooted, their height difference was really at an edge. He towered over her, his tired blue eyes streaking with nothing but concern, still. "I need to tell you something." She said, quietly.

His eyebrows knitted in puzzlement. "What is it?"

Natasha sucked in a breath, her mouth gaping open and closing just after. The words were clear enough on her mind but it was difficult to get them out. It was like her tongue was wrapped and twisted up in the fear of what she was about to say. "You have to understand that I did this because I love you and I trust you and I feel like you have the right to know."

His frown got deeper. "Nat, what's going on?"

Her heart felt like it was going to explode. The intensity of the stare he's giving her almost made her want to sink to the floor. The idea of her hurting him, of dealing with the fact that he'd possibly look at her differently is something she always dreaded. Steve's opinions always mattered to her because he's just _that_ important to her.

It was now or never. "Steve," she looked at him in the eyes. "Me and—"

The loud ring from a phone interrupted her halfway.

The words died down on her throat before she could get the chance to get it out. "Uh, sorry, just let me..." Steve turned back to the desk and grabbed his phone. Once he knew the caller, he glanced up at her with a sheepish look. "Is it okay if I..."

She gave him a nod, not knowing if she should breathe in relief or in frustration.

He answered it, pressing the phone to his ear. "Sam?" She wasn't surprised that Sam would be up as early as this time. He and Steve would usually go for their morning run if they're not spending the time training. "Yeah, I'm still at my place. Nat's here with me." There was a muffled sound on the other side, some shuffling in the background. Steve started to flush red, his face scrunching up to a glare. "I don't even know what that means. What? No. _Shut up._ Did you find anything?" He was silent as Sam answered. She watched as Steve's expression turned from blushing annoyance to one of seriousness. His eyes hardened. "Where? How are we going to—right now? Right now. Alright, alright. Keep Wanda posted. We'll meet you outside. Bye."

He pulled down the phone from his ear. And he must've noticed her questioning gaze at one point because he was already answering her before she could even ask him. "They found him."

She stared at him, her features mirroring between disbelief and shock. "Now?" It was more than just a shock really. This was a huge thing for them since they've been trying to track the bastard for months now and so far this was the first time they came close to finding him.

Steve nodded. "We need to go. Sam's calling in Wanda."

Natasha was almost tempted to remind him again of the thing she was supposed to say before they got interrupted, but she figured the mission was far more important than anything else. Just like what they had discussed. They've been doing a pretty decent job at keeping this promise and she wasn't going to break this now.

She would tell him after. The final word. No matter what happens, she really is going to tell him. "Okay, I'll get changed." She moved to place a soft kiss on his lips.

Just as she turned away though, he grabbed her hand. "Wait," he said, making her stop in her tracks and glance back at him. "You were about to tell me something?"

Oh, so he _did_ remember. Suddenly, she felt the fear and anxiety crawling up her spine again. Her breath hitched in her throat as he looked at her and waited. Waited for the important thing she was going to say. But she couldn't, not when they had a mission to finish first. "Later. It can wait," she said.

He eyed her skeptically. "You sure?"

Hesitantly, she nodded.

Steve sighed, "Alright." He dipped his head down to give her a kiss, his fingers brushing the satin fabric of her nightgown to the bare skin by her backside. His touch trailed goosebumps over her arm.

She gasped softly as they pulled away, keeping her forehead against his. "You're getting good at this." she murmured.

He laughed, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Learnt from the best." As he looked at her the second time, the playfulness was nowhere to be found in those pair of blue eyes. His voice was unrelenting. _Commanding._ So, she knew that it was no longer Steve Rogers asking her this, but it was Captain America ordering her. "Suit up."

Just like that, a flick of the switch sounded in her mind. She looked at him, green eyes filled with determination, obedience, and respect to her leader. Her Captain.

She was Black Widow.

And together, they would find and beat this no good son of a bitch.

* * *

By the time they got to the plane, Steve was already giving out his instructions and orders. She figured that it'd make sense he's all riled up in this because the nasty things that Rumlow had been doing for the past year were enough to be considered as goddamn crazy.

Rumlow was a crazy and insane HYDRA operative who went missing a few months back and had been feeding them all bunch of blackmail nonsense and threats. It only tells how much he loathed them. Not like it wasn't a mutual feeling after all.

"Wanda, you think you can do it this time?" Steve asked, looking at the youngest recruit in their team.

She sent him a lopsided smile. "We've trained this every day for months, Steve. I'm sure I can handle it now."

The girl's powerful, Natasha had to admit. She may be more powerful than the rest of them, given the powers she had. She has a lot potential to use those against their enemies out their on the field.

Steve thought so too, and he took care of that. He took the time to train Wanda and help her control and understand her powers. They practiced literally every day. It was started off with a rocky patch, but eventually, she got the hang of it. Thanks to their very compassionate and stubborn captain.

"The last time you said that I almost got crushed by an eight-wheeler truck," Steve said flatly.

Wanda shrugged, innocently. "I warned you but you didn't listen." She smiled shortly, "And it's not like you can't withstand a truck. You're practically invincible."

He rolled his eyes, chastising, "Unlike someone, I actually spend my strength and energy to pull or push any kind of weight."

"That's hardly a problem for a super soldier, I think."

Steve smirked at her. "You have no idea."

Wanda rolled her eyes as well, an amused chuckle escaping her lips.

Natasha heaved a breath, ignoring the twisting feeling in her stomach. Like what she said, since Steve was training Wanda more so often than the other recruits ('cause Wanda's the one who required more guidance being a kid and all), he got closer with her than she is with the rest of them. Sure, she had grown to get acquainted with the kid, but not as well as Steve did.

So far, Steve was the only one whom Wanda _really_ trusted in their team.

She was going to admit, they really hadn't gotten off to a smooth start. Ever since the incident with Sokovia, with them being former allies of Ultron, she was still suspicious and skeptical towards the girl. And Steve, being the good man he was, always sees the potential and good in everyone.

So, she did the same after so much nagging from him to give Wanda a chance. And she hated to admit that he was right. Again. Wanda turned out to be okay, after all. She was usually getting on her nerves but that quickly changed when they settled their differences and pasts aside.

They were friends but they don't exactly trust each other. Not fully at least. As long as they were getting the mission done? She was alright with that.

She saw Wanda took the seat next to her. She shifted in the seat, not looking at her but knowing she was talking to her. "Don't make that face," she muttered.

Natasha sighed, annoyed. "What?"

Wanda glanced at her. "You're jealous." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. An accusation, even.

Her tone turned sharper. "I'm not." she snapped.

She really wasn't. This certainly wasn't jealousy. It was more along the lines of being _selfish._ It had been a long time since she felt this way, this protectiveness and being territorial of what's hers and _hers_ alone. But it was a childish thing. It was not applicable to their situation because they weren't a teenage couple making out on the bench.

No, they were goddamn superheroes who needed to put the world first before their own selves.

And she knew it was a stupid and unreasonable excuse to be _this_ selfish, but she wasn't used to Steve giving the kind of attention and treatment he gives to her to someone else too. Steve means everything to her. He really does. She was afraid of losing the one person who gave her a chance of living. _Loving._

And even if he told her a thousand times he would never leave her, never think of letting her go, she was scared that maybe one day he'll see her for what the world see her as. A murderer. A weapon. A mess incapable of being fixed.

It was pathetic. _She_ was pathetic.

She was Black Widow and she couldn't even get past the reasoning of separating work and personal affairs just because of him. Of love. Stupid. It was really _stupid._ She still couldn't get a grip on herself and on her fucking brain to make her understand that.

"I think of Steve as my brother. I told you that before right?" Wanda reminded, her voice going quieter so the others wouldn't hear. "Ever since I lost..."

Natasha sensed the pain in her voice, the cracks of the remaining strength left in her. She couldn't let her think that way, not when she didn't do anything wrong. "It's fine, Wanda. It's nothing, really. Don't mind me it's... stupid. This is stupid. I'll get used to it eventually."

Oh, and one other thing.

Since this girl can actually fuck with people's minds, she was one of the people who found out about her relationship with Steve. And ever since then, she's been constantly reminding her that she doesn't plan to think of her boyfriend that way. _Never._

"It's not stupid. I understand if you want to protect the thing you love most. And you have every right to considering he's yours after all." Wanda surmised.

That sounded a terrible way to put it. Never once did she want to think of Steve as her possession. Sure, she was protective and selfish with him, but she could never be selfish enough to consider him as her object. Her thing. Steve was more than that.

"He's not mine. I don't own him."

"But you love him."

She stared at her like it was a ridiculous thing to say. " _Of course._ " She said, eyebrows knitted together. "But there's no place for that out here. Whatever happens, our jobs come first. The mission comes first. We're an Avenger, and we do this for the people. It's a risk we're willing to take."

Wanda frowned, a disapproving look lingering on her face. "That seems too much of a price. Aren't you allowed to think of yourselves once in a while?"

She sighed, giving her an empty smile. "Not everyone has the right to bleed. No matter how much you're hurting, you just bear with it until you get used to it. In a way, it makes you stronger, I guess."

The young girl was silent, her face held an expression like she couldn't believe what Natasha was telling her. Is this how the world really works? The risk you should be willing to take if she continued down the path of being an Avengers? Is falling in love more of a liability than an asset?

"I don't understand." She muttered, hanging her head low.

"Don't put so much thought it in. You're like what, seventeen? You still have plenty of years ahead of you to meet someone, kid." She claimed, smirking at her teasingly. "I'm sure Vision could wait until you're of legal age."

Wanda's cheeks heat up, her face turning to a steaming hot red. She glared at her harshly, "Natasha!" It was a good thing that Vision was left back at the facility. Only she and Sam were the ones accompanying the captain and the spy on this mission.

"What?" she asked lamely.

She pursed her lips, flustered. "We're just friends."

Natasha shook her head in amusement. "Trust me when I say that _line_ is a one-way ticket to the tunnel of love."

She glanced at where Steve was, he was talking with Sam when his gaze fleeted over to hers briefly. He gave her a cheeky smile as soon as he caught her looking. She smiled back.

Wanda noticed the exchange between the couple, couldn't help but smile on her own.

She wonders if she'd ever get a chance to feel the kind of love like Natasha and Steve have.

* * *

Once they were situated in the city of Lagos, they quickly got down to their orders just like Steve had given them. He went to stand by on a top floor of a building on the corner. Sam was assigned to the lookout by following Rumlow's tracks while she and Wanda were inconspicuously sitting outside of a small cafe while scanning the area. They were keeping an eye out for their target.

Wanda took a sip of her black coffee.

"All right, what do you see?" Steve's voice sounded through her earpiece.

She felt the strong liquid ran down her throat. God, why did she even ordered black coffee? "Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street." She glanced behind her to see a pair of policemen sharing a conversation. "It's a good target."

"There's an ATM on the south corner, which means?"

"Cameras."

"Both cross streets are one way."

She tried not to sound so smart when she stated the obvious. "So compromise escape routines."

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen. He isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out." He asserted. "You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?"

"Yeah, the red one? It's cute." She responded, playing with the remaining content of her coffee.

"It's also bulletproof." Natasha couldn't help but cut in, following the flow of their talk while silently observing the place. Based on her observation, what Steve deduced was probably a little more complicated than that. _"_ Which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us."

She was seated at the other table, just a little behind from where Wanda was. She was also wearing a pair of shades (she still wondered if shades do anything to hide your identity to the people) for the complete incognito look.

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda said nonchalantly.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature." She countered, glancing at where she was.

Sure enough, Wanda did, and she couldn't help but give her a smirk.

"Anybody ever told you you're being a little paranoid?"Sam chimed in.

"Not to my face." Natasha retorted, rolling her eyes. "Why? Did you hear something?"

"Eyes on target, folks."Steve reminded them, his tone dripping in every ounce of seriousness. How she pictured him peeking through the curtains of the window from where he was and couldn't help but thought the mental image of it was cute enough to make her smile inwardly. "This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him."

Sam let out a scoff. "If he sees us coming that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us."

"Kind of?" Natasha exclaimed, snorting in disbelief. "I'm sure he loathes us enough to beat the shit out of us."

"Keep your language PG, Natasha. There's a kid on the comms." Sam chastised.

Wanda's offended voice rang through their earpiece. "I'm barely a kid, excuse me."

Steve took the time to cut in and direct their attention back to their main subject. "Hey Sam, see that garbage truck?"

"Uh-huh. What about it?"

"Tag it."

Sam did what he was told to. Moments later, one of his little friends came out the back of his suit and followed the garbage truck wherever it went no matter how many turns it took. It hovered just below the truck.

"Give me X-ray." He was given an analysis of the whole compartment of the truck. "That truck's loaded for max weight, and the driver's armed."

Natasha's eyes widened, realization pouring into her. "It's a battering ram."

"Go now," Steve ordered.

Wanda froze in her spot. "What?"

"He's not hitting the police." Steve deduced, bolting straight out of the room right after. They heard the sound of a door slamming shut through the comms.

With that, Natasha and Wanda quickly stood up from their seats, proceeding to follow where the two men were heading. She turned to her, asking, "You know where to go right?"

"Of course. I'm not a little girl." Wanda reckoned, splitting up to find a place where she could use as a takeoff.

Natasha, on the other hand, tried to think of a way to get there fast without causing any commotion. Her eyes darted to the streets, then to the buildings, and finally, her eyes landed on the motorbike parked on the side of the pavement.

Her face lit up, running over to stop in front of it. A smirk traced the corner of her lips. "Hey, babe?"

It took five seconds before the response came. _"Yeah?"_ Steve's voice responded.

"Mind if I borrow your stuff for a while?" She asked, rounding the bike as she searched for the keys.

 _"Depends on what it is."_

"Your bike can I... where are the keys... oh! Got it." She lifted up the seat and saw the keys tucked behind a leather jacket. She shut off the compartment and lift a leg over to sit up. "Seriously, Steve, who the hell leaves their keys on their motorbikes itself?"

 _"It could come in handy. Like it did now,"_ he responded, his tone slightly teasing.

She inserted the keys, lifted her foot, and pushed her weight down to start the engine. The familiar sound of his motorbike resonated through her ears. She was sure glad that Steve had taught her to use this back then, he was right to tell her that she might need it sometime.

 _"Try not to crash and break it, though."_

She rolled her eyes. "You have little faith in me, you know?"

Steve chuckled, a couple of cars honking and air whooshing in the background. Judging from the way he was deliberately trying to catch his breath, she assumed he was running and pushing through the crowd of people in the area. _"I'm kidding, love. Hurry up will you? We're kinda running late here."_

So, she twisted the handles and sped off, though she couldn't help herself from teasing back. "Says the hundred-year-old captain."

 _"Shut up."_

She laughed softly in response.

She tried to reach the area the fastest way she could, but with all the people in the streets, and considering the multiple turns she made, it was a huge hassle for her. Oh, and she quite forgot to mention that this motorcycle was heavy as _fuck_ so it was difficult for her to round a corner and steer ways.

It was probably after five minutes when she finally reached the entrance of the building they were targeting.

"Rumlow has a biological weapon," Steve told them.

When she finally has a full view of the armed men on the ground, she let out a devil of a smirk. "I'm on it."

She was heading for them at full speed. After pressing the brakes, she used her feet to push herself off the motorbike and hurled it right at them. She shot one of her electric bites at the men and threw herself to chuck him down the floor.

She slammed her foot at the metal door, hitting the other man straight in the face, and used her fists to knock him unconscious. She sensed one coming at her from behind, turning around just in time to knock the gun from his grip and kicked him in the shin. Propping herself up on the truck, she used one of her electric bites again to shock the incoming enemy. She took a second to catch her breath.

 _"Well done, Nat."_ She heard Steve praise her. _"But still a tad slower than I am."_

Natasha fought the urge to scoff. "You're a super soldier so you're out of the context."

 _"I thought you've always considered me as your equal?"_

"Is that a challenge?"

 _"Maybe?"_

"What's in it for me, then?"

 _"Hmm."_ She could practically see him grinning from the other side of the comm. His voice turned lighter, teasing, _"A kiss?"_

Her lips curved upwards, her tone went huskier. Lower. _Seductive._ "Just a kiss?"

From the way his breath hitched and stumbled over his words, she was sure he was blushing madly now. _"Get your orders done and you'll find out."_

She smirked. "Noted, babe."

 _"Stop being mushy on the comms!"_ Sam's voice scolded through their earpieces. _"Save all that for the bedroom, will you?"_

They both winced and flushed in embarrassment.

Other than Wanda, Sam also knew of their relationship ever since he had become Steve's _right_ _man_. When he grew suspicious of them, he kept nagging Steve to the point where the captain just had it and made him swore not to speak of it anymore.

Sam, of course, didn't stop speaking of it. He was even the one responsible for making up the rule of _'All matters regarding the soldier and the spy's relationship must be handled privately and not on the goddamn field',_ because at some point during a mission, their argument led to them missing their target and had to cut back a few days and deliberately wasting more time to complete their job. Not to mention, causing him and Wanda a very _great_ deal of discomfort whenever they were arguing or getting all cutesy or _handsy._

Somehow, Natasha had considered him a liable friend to remind them whenever she and Steve were getting their head out of the game. Though it would happen rarely now, unlike before, it _still_ happens.

These thoughts were abruptly cut off when she suddenly felt a hand yanked her tightly. The spy whipped around to see an armed man, more well-guarded than the others, tugging on her collar to try and drag her with him.

She laid a punch to his chest, then his arm, and jabbed her elbow towards his face. She spun around and twisted his hand to break free from his grip. She hit his jaw but was caught off guard when the man gripped her hair and pulled it hard.

She was incredibly pissed off by the action and slammed her electric knife at his neck, but she was shocked to find that it had no effect on him.

"I don't work like that no more." A familiar voice rang out. He grabbed a hold of her and slammed her downwards inside the truck. She looked up just in time to see the grenade fell from his hands. "Fire in the hole."

The hole was shut off. She landed with a loud thud and found two other soldiers inside the truck. Her eyes darted to the soldiers, then to the ticking grenade in front of her. As soon as the soldier made a move to shoot her, she raised her feet to strike. She used the other guy as her shield from the grenade.

She was blasted out of the truck, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Her head throbbed at the impact, and she coughed furiously because of the smoke.

 _"Nat! You okay?"_ Worry filled Steve's tone.

She tried to answer when another cough filled up her lungs.

As soon as Steve heard that, he couldn't contain himself _not_ to check on her.

Hurriedly, he broke the door open and immediately searched for a redhead in the grounds. But he wasn't expecting to come face to face with a gun aiming at him instead. He raised his shield just in time for the blast to reach him.

He was thrown off to the other side of the floor. Nevertheless, with the pain ramming up his side, he pushed himself off the floor and ran, still raising his shield as protection. But he didn't see the last one coming to be strong enough to strike him outside the building.

Steve felt his body ache in pain once he landed on the hard concrete grounds below. He struggled to get up. "Sam, he's in an AFV heading north."

"On it," Sam responded, flying off to where he was ordered to go.

The captain rose to his feet, glancing around the area to finally find the person he was searching for just moments ago. Thankfully, he saw her and sighed in relief when she was alright. Her face and clothes were stained with dirt but other than that, she looked fine. He grabbed her shield and stalked towards her.

Natasha quickly noticed him approaching. Her eyes inspected his form and were relieved to find that there were no bruises or cuts present on his face. Still, she couldn't help but be concerned. "You alright, soldier? That was a pretty tough fall."

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He waved it off, nodding at her clothes, "What happened?"

"An armed man. Stronger than the others. He tried to kill me off by trapping me in a truck with a grenade and two more soldiers." She answered casually, brushing off the sleeves of her jacket. "I did hear his voice and could sure as hell tell it was Rumlow."

Steve let out a breath. "Well, you're not wrong about that. Come on, Sam's tailing him." His eyes searched for the missing member of their team. "Where's Wanda?"

"Here." The said brunette suddenly landed beside him. Unlike before, she managed to land gracefully and without any problem at all. "What's our next move?"

 _"I got four, they're splitting up."_ Sam interjected.

"That's our next move. Split up, and take 'em down." Steve instructed.

Wanda nodded. "See you there," Then she was off again.

Natasha, however, tried to search for Steve's motorbike again. She figured she could use the ride. As soon as her eyes landed on the strewn bike on the ground, she ran towards it with him following closely behind.

"Now I know why you like these things so much." She insinuated, stepping aside to let him pull it back up and get it starting. She hopped on it, giving him a smirk. "Need a ride?"

Steve grimaced. "With you driving? I'd rather not have my death sentence."

She tried to glare at him but ended up smiling anyway. "You're such a shit, you know that?"

"You love me anyway." He grinned smugly.

"That I do."

Steve tried his hardest not to smile and focused on rendering back to his Captain America persona. "You help Sam out. Once you get the weapon, meet me there. Something tells me I'll be dealing with Rumlow later on."

She nodded, twisting the handles to get the engine starting. "Aye, aye, captain." She threw him a final smirk before speeding off.

Knowing him, she was sure that he'll already be there by the time she does.

As soon she neared the place and was close to their targets, she stood from the motor and left it in the streets. From car to car she ran and jumped on the tops, peeling through the crowd of people wandering in the streets.

 _"Natasha? Where the hell are you?"_ Sam's voice tore through the comms. He sounded anxious.

"Relax, Wilson. I got the two on the left." She assured.

Just as she had expected it, a figure in a red-blue-white suit appeared in her view. He had almost come in a blur. He was gone as fast as she had seen him appear. And honestly, she had no idea if Steve also happens to have the power of super speed.

Steve came across an abandoned load of helmets and vests. "They ditched their gear." He tried to glance at the area for any traces but was frustrated to find nothing else. "It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload."

His attention was diverted when something landed on his shield with a loud _clang._ His breath quickened when red lights start to blink rapidly and quickly flung it upwards before it exploded.

Suddenly, a sharp aching pain quickly rammed down his spine.

Someone had hit him.

He crashed through stalls and rolled over the ground.

"There you are, you son of a bitch!" Rumlow shouted. His voice hissing, threatening, and being excited all at the same time.

Natasha, not far behind from where the two were, heard the commotion from her side. She looked sideways to find the same man that hit her, presumably Rumlow, coming straight for Steve and _not_ in a pleasant way.

The armed man chucked out one of his weapons. "I've been waiting for this!" He hurled it right at the captain.

Steve flew back again and crashed into the tables with great impact.

Her eyes widened in fear. _Oh God, Steve._ Before she knew what she was doing, her feet started moving and she was heading straight in their direction. But halfway through, her mind stopped her, making her feet stay where they are. She suddenly caught sight of the two men that she originally targeted.

Remembering their promise that profession should always be put first before personal relationships, she changed her way and proceeded to take down her target.

She knew that Steve could handle his. _He always does._

Besides, even if he wasn't one to admit it, her boyfriend did have a knack for surprising everyone with what he can do.

»»—- —-««

* * *

 ** **So what do you think guys?****

 ** **Did I overdo Steve and Nat's relationship? Or is it lacking too much?****

 ** **Please leave reviews so I can know your thoughts! Leave votes too if you have the time! Thank you!****


	4. Chapter 2

**Warning: INTENSE MAKE OUT SCENE WAAAAAHH!**

* * *

»»—- —-««

 **( chapter two )**

»»—- —-««

 _"He doesn't have it,"_ She heard Sam's call. He was talking about the weapon. _"I'm empty!"_

 _Shit._ So, if those men didn't have it, then it could only mean her targets do. With that in mind, her legs seemed to take off faster than she expected. She was jumping, leaping, sliding, and shoving people with an apologetic look since the marketplace was filled with a vast number of them.

"Out of the way!" She took a rapid turn to the right, then a sharp one towards the left. Her target looked back at her in fear, as he kept trying to outrun her to no avail. Natasha was too fast _and_ too smart for him. She stepped on a table and lunged at the man, tackling him in the process. He raised his gun but she quickly grabbed his arm and hit him in the chest. She took a basket and flung it in the second man's direction, shoving it with a kick that went straight to his feet to knock him over.

The Russian spy stepped on the man's knee, then captured his neck between her legs and spun him backward. As she dragged the man down, the other came right at her, so she slammed her feet at his face. She punched him straight in the face rolled over to grab the gun on the ground.

At the same time she raised the pistol, the man was smart enough to grab his gun and aimed it at her too. Thet both stopped, staring intently at one another while anticipating their next move. A drop of sweat trickled down Natasha's forehead as she tried to catch her breath. Her opponent's gun staring right back at her.

"Drop it." The other man ordered, holding the vial of some red liquid in his hands. It looks dangerous enough as it is. "Or I'll drop this."

She swallowed thickly, thinking of a way to outdo this guy. Dammit. She needed backup. A _distraction._ "Drop it!" He demanded.

"He'll do it!" The man raising the gun yelled to convince her.

Just on cue, she saw a mechanical object hovering a few feet from where they where.

She let out a deadly smirk.

A shot of blade suddenly hit the man, she took this distraction to fire at the target in front of her. Then ever so quickly—as fast as lightning— she bent down to catch the vial just in time. She turned to the hovering thing. "Payload secure. Thanks, Sam."

 _"Don't thank me."_ came the response.

Natasha caught onto what he was hinting at and shook her head in disapproval. "I am _not_ thanking that thing."

 _"His name is Redwing!"_

"I'm still not thanking it."

 _"He's cute. Go ahead, pet him."_

She grimaced. "Yeah... no."

After all that was over, her mind suddenly drifted off to their fellow captain.

She recalled what his current situation was just moments ago, and worry quickly filled up her chest. This time, she didn't hesitate to go and check on him. It's not because she doubted his capabilities (nothing could ever make her question what he _can_ do) but since their mission was done here, there's nothing wrong to give a little help.

"Sam, have you seen Steve?" she asked.

 _"Nope. Last time I checked, he was with you remember?"_

She placed the vial in her pants' pocket. "How 'bout Wanda?"

 _"Still a big nope."_

Natasha sighed, exasperatedly. "Well, let's find them. Steve did tell me to meet him after we're done here."

With that being said, she dashed off to find the aforementioned names. She kept glancing in all directions but was annoyed when she couldn't find even one of them. There were too many people on the grounds and that even made it more difficult than it is.

Not to mention the fact that it's becoming goddamn hotter and sweatier with each minute.

 _"Natasha! I got sight on Wanda."_ Sam said.

"Great. Where is she?" She asked, trying to get through the mass of people. Though she was fazed once she saw a crowd forming in the distance. It was suspiciously quiet as if the people were watching something attention-seeking.

There was a moment of silence before he replied back. _"Uh oh... this isn't looking good."_

That caught her attention. "What?"

 _"Steve... and Rumlow.. it looks like they're talking."_ Sam answered, his voice sounding strained. _"But I don't like where this is going."_

Her heart started to race. That really didn't sound good. She knew how much Rumlow hated Steve. With what happened to him? He figured blaming the captain for the fall of SHIELD and HYDRA and getting back at him was the only way he could gain justice for himself.

"Hang on. I'm coming." She said, walking faster and tried to squeeze in through the people. "Where are you?"

 _"Your three o'clock."_

Following his instruction, she snapped her gaze to that direction, Sure enough, he was there on the far corner with Wanda. But they weren't looking at her, they were looking at something far more important. She followed their line of sight.

The second she saw what they were looking at, she then felt a sickening feeling in her gut the second she did.

It was true. Steve and Rumlow were really talking. He was kneeling on the ground, while Steve held him by the shoulders, but from the looks of it, he's telling the captain something worth listening to for him to not take him in and get this _fucking_ mission done. _He's getting distracted._ Natasha noticed. Her gut was telling her that this wasn't good. They were wasting their time and chance to take out Rumlow now. She didn't know what the hell they were talking about, but it sure didn't look pleasant.

She could only hear bits of their conversation.

"Who's your buyer?" Steve asked, gripping the edges of his collar harshly.

Rumlow answered solemnly. "You know, he knew you. Your pal, your buddy, your _Bucky._ "

Her breath hitched in her throat, curling her fists at the mentioned name. No wonder Steve was getting distracted. There wasn't anything much to distract Captain America and she knew that very well. Everyone knew that. But when it comes to things like this... Rumlow knew he had hit a soft spot. Steve's _weak_ spot.

Like they both expected, as soon as the name was uttered, Steve's demeanor changed. His face paled. "What did you say?" he asked, tightening his hold on Rumlow.

"He remembered you." No. _No._ He was using this distraction as an advantage. He needed to wake up, this was all a part of that bastard's plan. "I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in the blender."

Natasha was seeing all through his act. She knew that this was all going south. If he doesn't snap out of it now, everything they planned and prepared for will all be for nothing. "Cap!" She called, almost breathing in relief when his gaze snapped to the direction of her. "Don't listen to him. He's baiting you."

"Shut up, Romanoff!" Rumlow growled at her, shooting her a deadly glare.

Steve was on the verge of wanting to snap this guy's neck in half and not to. He wanted to know what he was going to say because he wanted to know if Bucky was alright. His mind deliberately ignored and blocked out Natasha's calls to him, and he couldn't stop himself.

He _needed_ to know.

"He wanted you to know something. He said to me, 'Please tell Rogers, when you gotta go, you gotta go.'" Rumlow started to get something out of his pocket.

Natasha's eyes widened, quickly grabbing the gun from her holster and aimed it at Rumlow. "Steve!"

"And you're coming with me." he snarled.

Steve jerked back as soon as he saw what he was trying to do.

Before she could pull the trigger, she saw Wanda stepped up just in time a fire erupted out. The flames engulfed the body of Rumlow—who was crying out in pain—while Steve stood a few feet back. Shock and shame overwhelmed his features.

Natasha, however, could see Wanda's struggle to keep her power under control and intact. Judging by the way her fingers trembled, the spy also knew that it wouldn't be long till it completely fired back at her. _Maybe literally._ "Wanda, don't. Stop!" she ordered.

Then she tossed him into the air.

"No!" she shouted.

Her jaw dropped in horror as soon as Rumlow's body crashed onto the side of the building. It set off an explosion. Thick flames burst out the windows while the infrastructure started to fall apart, piece by piece. People were screaming and running out of fear.

 _Oh, God._

This alone had caused hundreds of lives once more.

They got the mission done, but what they were forced to pay the price with almost made it seem like they were a complete failure and disgrace to these people.

She turned to Wanda, ready to give her a big mouthful and glare from what she had done, only to stop in her tracks. She looked just as guilty, probably more so than her. Her eyes were welling up with tears as she stared at the scene in horror.

Natasha knew that look. It was a look of shame and self-loathe. It was the look that says _'this is all my fault'_.

"Oh, my..." She glanced to her side and saw Steve. His face held a mixture of distraught, grief, and guilt. "Sam... we need fire and rescue on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there."

He wouldn't look at her because he already knew what she was thinking. And he knew it within himself that this was _his_ fault after all. But it dawned on Natasha that this wasn't just Wanda's fault, or Steve's—they were _all_ to blame here. They all had a part in causing this.

She could only sigh heavily, squeezing her eyes shut.

Now, _this_ would be the exact alibi the government needed to hold against them.

* * *

The ride back at the base was silent and awful. It was very uncomfortable and nobody was in the mood for talking or comforting because they knew they messed up big time. As soon as they arrived, Natasha didn't get the chance to talk to Steve about what had happened when he quickly excused himself and went to his room. Wanda wasn't in the mood for talking as well.

She, on the other hand, went to change out of her clothes and take a shower.

By the time she got back to the lounge, she was surprised to find Tony in the room with Vision and Rhodey. This was the first time she had seen Tony in months since he quitted, to be honest, she almost let out a gasp of shock. "Tony?"

She expected a smartass remark or a cocky response, but instead, all she got was a half-attempted smile. "Nat."

That was strange. And he didn't look as cool or laid back as he usually is. In fact, he seemed troubled, bothered, and quiet. "You didn't tell us you'd be visiting."

"That's because I'm not." he surmised.

She quirked a brow. "Then why are you here?"

Tony sighed, giving her a serious look, his gaze hardening. One to which he rarely does. "Ross called us in for a meeting. He said it was urgent." He crossed his arms, leaning against the counter with. "I'm guessing it has something to do with what happened in Lagos."

That set off a streak in her. She bowed her head in shame, guilt crept up her face as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "You know what happened?" she asked.

Tony nodded in Rhodey's direction who was currently talking with Vision, implying that he was the one who told the whole story. "Just the important things. You guys messed up big time." He wasn't saying it as if he was accusing her, he was simply saying it like it was a big deal to him too. Like he was a part of the mistake they made. "How's Cap handling it?"

"What do you think?" she couldn't help but retort. "He hasn't talked to any of us since it happened. He locked himself in his room."

"Well, you better get him down here now." He chastised, rubbing a hand over his face. "Something tells me we won't like what the secretary's giving us later on."

Natasha let out a breath, then excused herself to head towards the elevators. She got in and pressed the button of their floor. By the time the elevator doors slid open, she sauntered over to Steve's room. She was about to knock when she saw that his door was left slightly ajar. She could hear faint voices inside the room, assuming it was probably sounding from the TV.

 _"Eleven Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria yesterday. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred."_

Figures he'd be watching the news. A better way of making him feel that the whole thing was nothing but his fault. She slipped in quietly, careful not to make any noise and left the door slightly open like before. As soon as she reached his office, she hid behind a wall and watched him silently. He looked deeply troubled. He was slumped back in his seat, his shoulders stiff as he listened to the reports.

 _"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil, not only because of the actions of criminals but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all."_

 _"The Wakandan King went on to_ —"

At that point, Steve couldn't bear to hear them anymore so he shut the TV off. He rested his elbow on the table, contemplating to judge for himself whether their actions are indeed considered wrong or right.

He must've already noticed her presence when she saw his head snapped back up and looked back slightly.

He didn't need to guess who it was.

"I know you're there." He muttered, letting his fingers drummed continuously on the table so he'd have an excuse to not meet her gaze.

Natasha pushed herself from the wall, moving closer to where he was. She wasn't surprised by the fact that he knew she was there, but rather surprised at the fact that it took him _that_ long to notice.

The silence filling the room was deafening and the tension was very uneasy. But she tried her best to shift the mood a bit. "It's not your fault," she said.

Steve shook his head in disapproval. "Did you hear the news?"

She nodded, quite reluctantly. "I did."

"Then you know they're being very specific about it."

She sighed, looking at him. "You don't have to punish yourself for it. Just because you're Captain America doesn't mean you don't screw things up sometimes."

"But people died, Nat." His voice cracked, remorse filling his tone. "It's on me."

She rested a hand on his shoulder, making him finally meet her eyes. His blue eyes that were usually bright and full of life was now dimming in sorrow. "It's on all of us." she murmured.

They really could have done more. And it wasn't right just for Steve and Wanda to blame themselves, but it was too late for any of that right now. What's done is done. "This job... we try to save as many people as we can. We _should_ try," he said.

"I know. But sometimes, that doesn't mean everyone, Steve. That's how the world works. Not everything comes with a fair price. And if we can't find a way to live with that... maybe, next time, nobody else gets saved."

He kept quiet, hanging his head low. His voice barely above a whisper.

"He said Bucky, Nat."

Natasha felt her heart stopped. The sudden reminder of what she was supposed to tell him before this had happened snapped back to her mind.

"Rumlow said Bucky and..." He shook his head, quite frustratingly, "Suddenly I was a sixteen-year-old kid again in Brooklyn."

"Steve..."

"It's stupid. Every time someone mentions him I just... I completely blank out. Ever since D.C..."

She sucked in a breath, now having a harder time to look at him. Not when the guilt of keeping her past with his best friend was eating her up more so often these past days. But then she glanced at him, at the man she loves, and realized that he looked as broken and shattered like the moment he found out Bucky was the Winter Soldier.

He was lost without his friend.

And she wasn't going to add onto that by spilling that thing on him now. What he needed now was someone to assure that he wasn't alone. That she was here. For _him._

"It's stupid. I know." he scowled at himself.

"Shh. Hey, look at me," She tried to get him to look at her, curling a finger under his chin and gently tipping his head up to lock their gazes. "It's not your fault. Whatever Rumlow said about James, it doesn't define you. It's not stupid because it only says how much you care about him." She brushed her finger against his lower lip, attempting a weak smile. "And that's what Steve Rogers does right? Care for the people who mean a _buck_ to him?"

That got her a low chuckle from him. The pun was incredibly lame but it did something at least. It still didn't ease enough for his worries though, the pain and exhaustion were still present in his handsome face. "You're impossible."

"Incorrigible is more likely suited."

Steve reached up to grab her hand in his, tracing her knuckles with his calloused fingers. He didn't say anything else.

She didn't pull away though, even curling her own fingers around his. "Tony's here," she informed.

Shock settled on his face, the brushing motion of his fingers on her hand stopped. "I'm guessing he didn't drop by to say hello?"

A lopsided smirk appeared on her lips. "No, he's brought a guest." She shrugged. "The secretary of state."

"Well, that sounds delightful," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, and we better get down there if we want them out of our asses as soon as possible." She said, tugging at his hand to pull him up. He didn't move an inch though. "Get up, Rogers."

Catching her off by surprise, he suddenly tugged her hand and wrapped an arm around her thigh to pull her towards him. She ended up losing her balance and straddling him instead.

She gaped, cheeks almost flushing red. Steve stared at her flustered look and smirked in amusement. "Wha—" She quickly looked back at the slightly ajar door and felt the panic rising in her chest. "What are you doing?" she hissed, glaring at him, though she wasn't exactly making a move to stand up.

Steve leaned closer, his clouded eyes were now filled with mischief. A smug grin evident as he gazed into her eyes. His hand was resting dangerously on her thigh while the other was still tangled in hers. "What do you think?" he chuckled.

Her glare quickly melted and she scolded herself for withering under his attempt at flirting. She felt his lips ghosted over hers and restrained herself from reaching out and planting one on him herself. She wasn't going to give in, though. She knew she had _more_ self-control than him. And _she's_ the one who was supposed to make him crave this bad.

Or so she thought. "Is this the kiss you promised to give me?"

"Maybe," he murmured. Their noses were touching as he kept tilting his head to press his lips on the corner of her lips, then to her cheek, and to her jaw.

He smirked lightly as soon as he saw her eyelids flutter closed and she let out a soft whimper. "S-stop teasing." she breathed out.

Steve then nosed her chin up. He lowered down to her jaw, started trailing the side of her throat and pressed lavishing and torturous kisses there. Unconsciously, she was tilting her head up to give him more access. The hand on her thigh disappeared and wrapped around her lower back to pull her flushed against him. Her hands curled against the front of his shirt, and she felt the heat of his lips against on her skin enough to send her hormones into overdrive.

He was teasing and was going to make her _beg_ for it.

But she _wasn't_ going to give in. She wasn't going to let the satisfaction by admitting defeat that he could seduce her as good as she can.

"Steve..." The words in her throat died as soon as she felt his lips got to her collarbone. His kisses got wetter. _Hotter._ He pulled her shirt down to have more access and felt his tongue sweep over her skin.

She gasped softly, eyes rolling to the back of her head.

 _Oh, God._

"Steve, we need to..." _Stop._ But she couldn't make herself say it. Torn between wanting to feel his touch all over her and wanting it the other way around.

"What?" he murmured, going back up to cup her face and kiss her lightly. There was contact but not enough satisfy her. She could feel his own hunger pooling in the pit of his stomach when she felt something straining hard on his jeans. Another moan escaped her mouth, tightening her grip on his shirt. "What, love?"

"Meeting. Now. Gotta stop." She said through rasped breaths, not able to pull back anymore when she aimed for his lips. He didn't give her the chance though because he kept pulling away, letting her chase him. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open and she stared, an amused smile dancing on his face. He was clearly enjoying this. "What... that's not fair." she frowned, leaning to kiss him again but he purposely averted his gaze so it landed on his cheek instead.

"Oops." he grinned cheekily.

She stared at him hotly. "Rogers! You little shi— _mmph!_ "

Whatever she was saying drowned out when he finally attacked her lips. He kissed her hard. Demanding. Passionate. Open. _Desiring._ His fingers weave through her hair while his other hand got confident to slip under her shirt, smoothing the skin by her waist.

Natasha had _enough._ Enough teasing. She took the lead and deepened the kiss, seeking entrance by prying his lips open. He grunted, refusing for a moment before finally obliging and succumbing to her. Her tongue swept over his teeth, darting deep inside to claim him. He moaned in her mouth, and she paused to let him take a breath, before stealing it again with a searing kiss.

Once both were running out of air, they finally pulled away, bracing their foreheads together.

His eyes were still hazily closed, breathing heavily, "Love you, Nat." he murmured, still cupping the side of her face. His eyes drifted down to the necklace he gave her, smiling. "Love you so much."

"Love you too." She breathed against his lips, unable to hold back the smile appearing. She closed her eyes, letting down her walls. Masks. Everything inside to him. "Love you too."

They stayed like that for quite some time.

Perhaps later there'd be more to think of. More problems to deal with. And more setbacks to face.

But now? Just this time, just this moment— the world was _theirs._

* * *

 ** **So? Is the kiss too much? xD****


	5. Chapter 3

»»—- —-««

 **( chapter three )**

»»—- —-««

Natasha and Steve arrived at the meeting and found that everyone was seated at a long table already. They all waited in silence for the spy and the soldier to join them before starting their agenda.

They didn't miss the disapproving looks they gained from Tony and Sam though, to which they just shrugged it off.

"Ah, Captain, Miss Romanoff, glad of you to finally join us." Ross gave them a short smile. She couldn't tell if it was genuine or sarcasm. Probably the latter.

Steve took a seat at the far end of the table, while she took the seat in front of him.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best thing of my life, because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass. I found something forty years in the army never taught me- perspective." Ross started to say.

Natasha didn't know if Secretary Ross was trying to start the mood lightly enough for them to bear with the real deal later on. And she certainly didn't know if he was serious once he started doing silly actions while telling them the story.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Steve silently watching Ross, all playfulness he had earlier was nowhere to be found.

"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt." Ross continued, finally, his tone now becoming more serious. "You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives... but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word, _vigilantes._ "

"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" she interjected.

He narrowed his eyes, answering nonchalantly, "How about _dangerous_?"

She had an inkling feeling that he'd say that. "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals, who routinely ignore sovereign borders, and inflict their will wherever they choose?" Ross asked them, but no one dared answered. "And who frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?"

They watched as Ross went to show them a file on the screen. At first, it showed them a map with a lot of landmarks and distinct yellow points marking a few places. She immediately recognized it as the following places that they've been through for the previous years.

These were the places the Avengers went on their missions together.

It zoomed in on one mark.

"New York," Immediately after Ross said that, the video of them fighting the Chitauri came into view. A lot of people could be heard screaming and running in terror. While some, unfortunately, were dragged down by the various explosions and buildings collapsing in the scene.

It was very distinct that it was _their_ doing when Hulk suddenly came out and smashed the building to pieces. Not caring that there were still people down there.

She could do nothing but bear to watch it. Rhodey had a remorseful look and glanced at her and Steve, they couldn't utter a word. Well, what were they supposed to say? The expression on their faces gave off what they needed to tell him.

"Washinton, D.C.," Ross stated, checking off the list one by one.

This time, both Steve and Natasha immediately recalled it as the time they were first assigned to be partners. It was the time when they realized SHIELD has been HYDRA all along and tried to stop the hellicarriers from killing thousands of innocent people. But from the video shown, it looked entirely different from the people's perspective. The hellicarriers crashed down both in the grounds and seas and led to _them_ taking down a lot of other innocents.

Sam lowered his head shamefully.

"Sokovia," Ross went on.

This happened during their second mission as the Avengers. Having to deal with Tony's mistake of creating Ultron, they were essentially filled with relief and gratitude when they managed to stop him in the end. But then again, there would always be a price of something in return. There would always be a consequence, in the end, no matter what they do. _Good or bad._

Tony, who was seated separately from them, looked sullen. He was having difficulty to watch the videos playing on the screen. He stayed tight-lipped, furrowing his eyebrows every now and then.

"Lagos." Ross finished. It was their most recent mission with the new recruits. The video was enough to remind them of their faults once more.

Steve snapped a look over at Wanda concernedly, the troubled look on her face was there once again. Thinking of the best solution, he decided to stop this. It was too much for everyone to take in at the same time.

"Okay, that's enough," Steve ordered, solemnly.

Ross stopped the video and took a deep breath before holding his chin up to break down the news to them. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate." He paused shortly. "But I think we have a solution."

The man beside him handed a book. From a view, it looked thick and white enough for them to notice it's some sort of contract. Natasha had to heave in a breath when she realized where this was heading.

Ross placed down the papers. "The Sokovia Accords." He handed it over to Wanda. "Approved by 117 countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if the panel deems it necessary."

Natasha couldn't contain the wary look escalating on her face. She wasn't sure how to respond to this. For years, the Avengers were already used to being on their own, and _operating_ on their own, wouldn't it be the same if they were going to be under the hands of various governments who clearly wanted them arrested back then?

Then again, at the same time, her mind drifted off to the lives of the innocent serving as the price for their actions. It wouldn't be fair to them. Sure they were getting bruises, cuts, and hell even fractures when being sent on a mission, but how about those who were accidentally being caught in the midst of everything?

It was a tough call to make.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place, I feel we've done that." Steve reasoned.

Ross put up a bleak look. "Tell me, captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" She could tell Steve was trying hard not to talk back and settled on resting a slightly irritated look at the irrelevant question of Ross. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences," he continued, still fixing his gaze on the captain. "Compromise, reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So, there are contingencies?" Rhodey turned to Ross for approval.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." As Ross continued on, Steve had only noticed that Tony was being quiet all the time, and was surprised to see him far from where they were. Tony was avoiding his gaze. "Talk it over." He finished.

Natasha felt that it was the perfect time to ask him this. Bracing herself for the answer she was dreading to hear. "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"

Ross stopped shortly, turning back to shot her a look. "Then you retire."

She sent back a humorless smile.

Steve shocked everyone by speaking up. "With all due respect sir, a couple of papers wouldn't stop the threats from arising. A lot of people died and it's something we can't take back, but this... this isn't how the world works. Threats come and go. It never stops."

"I think you're forgetting that the main problem here isn't about the threats. It's about the Avengers _being_ a threat to innocent lives." Ross remarked, annoyed, his tone dripping in lack of humor.

"A lot of people have tried to won a majority of the world and be slaves to their will. Don't you think at least some good credit goes to the Avengers for preventing that to happen?" Steve asked, his voice raising up a few decibels high.

Natasha gave him a look to warn him that despite stating his point with respect, it was kind of off to talk back to a government official. Much less, the secretary of the state. Even if she did kinda snap at them before, this was the time wherein they needed to shut their mouths and think of this thoroughly first.

Steve didn't catch her warning gaze.

"Your argument is irrelevant, captain. Do you really want me to answer the question? I'm afraid you already have an idea what I want to say." Ross said, sounding pissed off.

Steve stood his ground. "It's the truth, sir."

Secretary Ross shook his head in wry amusement, telling him off. "Tell that to the innocents you've dragged down with this."

With that, he walked out on them, leaving them to talk over their final decision.

* * *

Steve was continuously flipping on the pages of the accords, while they listened to the argument of Rhodey and Sam. Both were depicting different sides of the panel. While Tony was currently slumped up in the chair, eyes closed and looking dreadful about the banter between their two teammates.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have," Rhodey stated.

"So let's say we agreed to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam bit out, crossing his arms.

Rhodey looked at him in disapproval. "117 countries wanna sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'Nah, it's cool,'."

"How long are you gonna play both sides?" Sam snapped.

"I have an equation." Vision interjected.

Sam let out a sarcastic grin. "Oh! This'll clear it up."

They waited for his statement.

Vision was sitting on the sofa, his legs crossed, and face surprisingly neutral unlike most of them. "In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, a number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurable rate."

Steve looked at him blankly. "So you're saying it's our fault?"

"I'm saying there may be a causality." He cleared it up, sitting up straight. "Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict, and conflict breeds _catastrophe_. Oversight... oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom!" Rhodey let out triumphantly.

Natasha was the first to bring up the fact that Tony was being suspiciously silent enough for the day. She was worried about him since she saw him earlier. "Tony? You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"That's 'cause he's already made up his mind," Steve concluded.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said, standing up, "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." He grabbed a mug from the counter. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a Bed and Breakfast for a biker gang?"

He then placed his phone on the table. He pressed the screen, leaving it to show a picture of a young black man.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig, an Intel plan for the fall." Tony stated, his tone dripping humorless while his face held a certain dim of darkness to it. Bitterness. _Guilt._ "But first he wanted to put a few miles on his sole before he parked it behind a desk. See the world, maybe be of service. Charlie didn't wanna go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what _I_ would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? _Sokovia._ He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."

Natasha tried to swallow back the lump forming in her throat.

He took a sip of his coffee. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! And whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're boundary-less, we're no better than the _bad guys._ " Tony explained, crossing his arms to insinuate his point.

Steve spoke up. "Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked nonchalantly.

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." Steve pressed on.

This time, it was Rhodey who intervened."Sorry, Steve, that... that is _dangerously_ arrogant." Steve couldn't help but shook his head in disapproval, not getting his point. "This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not Hydra."

"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change," Steve argued.

"That's good! That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down. Stopped manufacturing." Tony pointed out.

Natasha continued to watch their banter in silence. Trying to consider all of their opinions and reasons before making her own.

"Tony, you _chose_ to do that." Steve chastised. "If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us? We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own." He explained carefully, trying to get them to see his point in all of these.

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty." Tony responded firmly.

Wanda cut in, "You're saying they'll come for me."

"We would protect you." Vision assured her.

Silence passed them.

Natasha tried to consider all their options, trying hard to figure out who was right and who was wrong. She very well made sure that she wasn't going to think about her relationship with Steve in the picture, but it doesn't mean that it gives her a reason to side with Tony's argument.

She needed to think this through. For some reason, she could see the point of this egotistical jerk. She knew that the intention of the Avengers was pure and that they were formed and brought together because they wanted to help people. _Save people._ But seeing the consequences just took back all their hard work.

Then again, Steve also made a good point. With everything that happened, the one time they decided to trust an organization run by people with their own set of rules and agendas, it completely used their trust against them. This may not be SHIELD or HYDRA, but it is still run by people who can possess control over them. Like they were their puppet toys.

It was a very difficult decision to make because both Tony and Steve have their own valid reasons. She, however, knew that the government has been butting their noses in her business every damn time they could. And she was sure as hell that they didn't trust her as much as she to them.

But maybe... they really had gone far this time. It wasn't time to be selfish anymore, she was tired of being selfish. She needed to think of the other innocent people dragged into this mess _because_ of them. Even if the Avengers' intentions and one true purpose were good but their actions to do that was wrong... it's time to take on a different perspective of the situation.

Suddenly, it made sense to her. She knew where to side.

"Maybe Tony's right." The words came out of her mouth, surprising everyone, and herself as well. Everyone's heads turned directly at her, especially Steve's, who was staring at her like he couldn't believe she just actually said that. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off..." She trailed off, avoiding Steve's gaze.

Sam widened his eyes in disbelief. "Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?"

"I'm just... reading the terrain." This time, she looked directly at Steve. His expression was blank and, shocked, maybe. "We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

Tony looked at her incredulously. "Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?"

She sighed, exasperatedly. "Oh, I want to take it back now."

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed. I win." Tony grinned triumphantly.

She rolled her eyes at him. Her attention hovered over to Steve when she saw him retracted his phone from his pocket. As she watched him read the text, a dark look mirrored his face. Her eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

"I have to go," Steve said, quickly standing up and fleeing out the room.

Natasha blinked a few times, trying to process what had just happened. Tony raised an eyebrow at the retreating form of the captain. He arched an eyebrow. "What's his deal?"

She let out a deep sigh, before standing up as well to follow him. "Wait here." And she followed Steve out the door. She darted her head around and found him standing at the end of the stairs. "Steve?" She approached him slowly. "You okay?"

His gaze turned to her. "I got a text."

She looked down at his phone, squinting her eyes to get a look of the screen.

Natasha already knew who it was talking about. She went white, her face falling in realization. "Peggy..." she whispered.

Steve sighed heavily, a dark cloud cast over his eyes. His lip quivered and she could sense he was trying hard to not to break down in front of her.

And she completely understands, though. She knew how much Peggy meant to Steve. Even if she had somehow altered the past and Steve ended up falling in love with _her,_ she had witnessed it personally that he still grew to love Peggy. Maybe not in that way anymore, but Steve really did care for her.

Besides, she was a wonderful woman.

Natasha couldn't help but feel her chest tighten too. She had lost another friend today.

Steve scrolled down the messages. "The funeral's tomorrow." He glanced at her. "Mind accompanying me there? It's easier for me to handle if I'm not alone."

She wanted to. She really _does_. She owed Peggy that much and owed her so many times for taking care of Steve when she hadn't been there by his side to stand by with him before.

But they were running out of _time._

If they wanted the Avengers, their family, not to fall apart, they needed to fix this as soon as possible. They needed to put this first. "Steve, I..." An apologetic look etched on her face. She noticed Steve's face changed, his eyes turned darker. But that didn't change her mind. "I care about Peggy, you know that right? And I know she means a lot to both of us but... we need to take care of the accords first."

That was it. The look of disbelief was more prominent on his face. His jaw tightened. " _What?"_

 _Crap._ She sighed, eyes going softer in contrast to the pile of anger surging in him. "Steve, hear me out, please."

He stared at her harshly, voice filled with bitterness. "Look, I know it's our duties as Avengers to deal with this but a couple of hours too much to take your time? Can't afford to waste time and go to a damn funeral for your dead friend?"

She flinched at how bad he made it sounded, narrowing her eyes, "No, that's not it-"

"Then what is it?" he snapped.

"It's because we need to take care of this as soon as possible. They're giving us one day to decide and we're already nearing half of it with _no_ progress at all. We still can't settle for one answer because we're not open for a solution." She reasoned, trying her best to keep her voice calm and not cause a scene. Especially when their friends were literally just a few feet away with just a door separating them.

His voice lowered down, but it sounded more awful. It was _venomous._ "It almost sounds like as if you're forcing me to agree to the accords like you did." he accused.

She could tell he was annoyed and there was no point to lie to his face, anyway. So she didn't deny it any longer. "Well, why can't you?" she bit back.

Steve was startled by her tone, the anger dropping from his shoulders for a second before it rose back up again. Hotter and seething this time.

"I'm not saying you're wrong because your reason is valid. You have a point and I understand that. I respect that. But it's time to step down a little bit. There's nothing wrong with admitting when's the time we crossed the line, Steve. It's not about shifting the blame nor turning back from our responsibilities, it's for the sake of the people who lost their trust in the Avengers. If we can't find a way to win it back, then what's the point of saving them if they don't want us to?" She contented, crossing her arms with a stare unrelenting. Unwilling to back down.

Steve did the same. He wasn't threatened nor move by her argument. If anything, it made him even more reluctant to compromise with her. "If we agree to this now, our responsibilities, our faults, and their _trust_ on us wouldn't be of the Avengers anymore. Everything that we do will always be either an accomplishment or failure of the UN. I'm not being arrogant, but for someone who's had personal experience with these things, it's not a decision that should be agreed on. Our right to choose shouldn't be taken away from us. Not now. _Not ever._ "

The two stared at each other in silence, their eyes seemingly trapped in a battle. Both showed no sign of backing down. Both too stubborn to give up the fight. After a while, Steve was the one who decided to let it go. He turned away to step down. "I have to go. Don't wait up for me, I'll be back to discuss the accords later."

Natasha was annoyed. "And where are _you_ going?"

"I'm going to a funeral." Steve snapped back.

 _What?_ They weren't even done discussing these goddamn accords yet! She could go with him and accompany him as he pleased as soon as they were done! She'd do that for him. For Peggy. She just wanted to get all of this done before it gets worse. "You can't just walk out on us. On _me._ If you want me to go with you then I'll _go_ with you. Just let us finish this first-"

"It's fine. Talk about it with Tony first. I won't be long," he stated.

No. No, it's _not_ fine. "But—"

Steve cut her off with a sharp look. "I'm not having this conversation right now, Nat."

She felt her eye twitch in fury. "You're going _now?"_

"Yes." He shot her a look. The kind of look that felt a complete slap to her face. "Because I'm the kind who's nice enough to put a friend first before work."

That shut her up.

Surprisingly, so did he. Seeing the hurt look on Natasha's face made him want to kick himself for being a complete dick. He may have gone too far this time but he was just so goddamn angry. _Furious._ He was mad that she was being selfish. Every single time they had put work first before anything else, even before their _them_ , it's only fair that even just _one_ damn time they put work last.

Natasha's lip quivered. Her fingers shook and she felt a huge lump forming in her throat. But still, she stood her ground. She wasn't going to let him know how much that hurt her. Like his words were knives cutting through her chest. She suppressed the bitter remark forming at her mouth.

He didn't understand. He didn't understand that she wasn't trying to be selfish, if anything at all, she was hardly thinking of herself anymore.

She was just doing what needed to be done. With that, she gave him one final glance, eyes slightly glistening before turning away and leaving him be.

Steve rubbed a hand over his face, breathing hard through his palms. _God._ He didn't want to fight with Nat. He never wanted it when they argue or come to disagreements, he hated fighting with her. Sometimes to the point where he'd just give way and swallow his pride to end their stupid fight.

But this time, he couldn't just back down like he did all the time.

This time, he had a valid reason, and you can bet on it that it would take more than just a pile of papers and various words to change his mind about that.

* * *

 **You know it was hard for me to write this chapter because I really don't want Steve and Nat to argue as much as possible**. **But I guess we all saw this coming, didn't we? :-(**

 **So the next chapter's going to be about Steve and Sam attending the funeral instead, and of course, that's where he's going to meet Sharon again...** **Hm. I think my pitchfork's sharp and ready to go do some hunting. xD Lol. HAHAHA.**

 **Please leave reviews guys! :)**


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